or advantage. And she did this
with a broad, cheerful absence of illusion; she did it--confessing even
as much to poor Susie--because, frankly, she _was_ good-natured. When
Mrs. Stringham observed that her own light was too abjectly borrowed
and that it was as a link alone, fortunately not missing, that she was
valued, Aunt Maud concurred to the extent of the remark: "Well, my
dear, you're better than nothing." To-night, furthermore, it came up
for Milly that Aunt Maud had something particular in mind. Mrs.
Stringham, before adjourning with her, had gone off for some shawl or
other accessory, and Kate, as if a little impatient for their
withdrawal, had wandered out to the balcony, where she hovered, for the
time, unseen, though with scarce more to look at than the dim London
stars and the cruder glow, up the street, on a corner, of a small
public-house, in front of which a fagged cab-horse was thrown into
relief. Mrs. Lowder made use of the moment: Milly felt as soon as she
had spoken that what she was doing was somehow for use.

"Dear Susan tells me that you saw, in America, Mr. Densher--whom I've
never till now, as you may have noticed, asked you about. But do you
mind at last, in connection with him, doing something for me?" She had
lowered her fine voice to a depth, though speaking with all her rich
glibness; and Milly, after a small sharpness of surprise, was already
guessing the sense of her appeal. "Will you name him, in any way you
like, to _her"_--and Aunt Maud gave a nod at the window; "so that you
may perhaps find out whether he's back?"

Ever so many things, for Milly, fell into line at this; it was a
wonder, she afterwards thought, that she could be conscious of so many
at once. She smiled hard, however, for them all. "But I don't know that
it's important to me to 'find out.'" The array of things was further
swollen, however, even as she said this, by its striking her as too
much to say. She therefore tried as quickly to say less. "Except you
mean, of course, that it's important to _you."_ She fancied Aunt Maud
was looking at her almost as hard as she was herself smiling, and that
gave her another impulse. "You know I never _have_ yet named him to
her; so that if I should break out now----"

"Well?"--Mrs. Lowder waited.

"Why, she may wonder what I've been making a mystery of. She hasn't
mentioned him, you know," Milly went on, "herself."

"No"--her friend a little heavily weighed it--"she wouldn't. So